Save Me
by Zombiekittie
Summary: Every night it's the same, it's become routine. He always runs to Yami for protection.  YxYY  Puzzleshipping  Rated for scenes later on. Warning: Character abuse
1. Chapter 1

Hello again. I had this idea for a story and just had to get it out as soon as possible. So far, I'm very pleased with it and I hope my readers enjoy as well.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own YuGiOh, and I never will in a million years.

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He ran though the pouring rain down every street that would take him far away from that place. Tears mixed with the rain and blood, his blond bangs stuck to the side of his face. His crying was muffled by the sounds of his feet splashing through puddles, and his labored breaths. He kept going, unsure of where his feet would take him, but positive they'd lead him to safety, they always did. He continued on, not even glancing at the street signs, almost as if this was routine, that's exactly what it was becoming. He stopped in front of a very nice looking apartment building, large trees surrounding, their leaves blowing fiercely in the storm's wind. He had been coming here more often these days, always because of the same circumstances, the same 'accident'. He calmed himself before making the short journey up the path that lead to the entrance, a path that was lined with large orange lilies, his favorite. Taking in a ragged breath he brought his hand up to push the intercom button.

"Who is it?" A confident voice was heard from the speaker after a few seconds. A voice that sent chills down the boys spine.

"It's me." He replied weakly, not sure if the man upstairs heard him, but he heard the buzz that alerted him the door was unlocked for only a few seconds.

He pulled the handle and ran inside in air conditioned building, making him shiver under his soaking wet clothes. He was faced with the decision: up or down, choosing up and made his way to the third floor. Standing outside the white door, a number below the peephole read: 221B. He gazed at the number before allowing his eyes to focus on the brass door handle that turned slowly. The door cracked open to reveal half of a mans face. His eyes were crimson and he had the same golden bangs as the boy standing outside.

The door opened completely, the man gestured for the boy to come inside. "Is everything alright, Yugi?" The man asked, pausing for a moment, looking the boy over then continuing with, "Let me get you a towel and some fresh clothes." With that he disappeared into the dark hallway, returning a few seconds later with a light blue towel and clothes that weren't sopping wet.

"Thank you, Yami." Yugi said quietly, taking the towel from the mans hand, wiping away the wetness from his face.

"You can change in the bathroom if you'd like." Yami gestured towards the bathroom down the hall and handed Yugi the clothes that were in his hand.

Yugi made his way to the bathroom as Yami took a seat on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He let out a sigh and glanced down the hall towards the bathroom, lost in thought.

Yugi stood in front of the mirror examining his newest injuries. His chest and back were covered in bruises and small cuts, both large and small. His arm held one that was in the perfect shape of a hand. He sighed and traced his skin, hesitating when he passed over a large dark new bruise that made it's home above the right side of his hip. He pushed on it, hissing in pain as he did. He chuckled, "What did you expect?" questioning himself.

He began to dress himself with the clothes Yami had given him, taking in his scents, hoping tonight would be the night that would change his life. However, he had hoped that almost every night for the past few months, since he had been coming to Yami for protection. He turned around and opened the door the lead back out to the living room, flicking the light off before making his way down the hall.

Yugi emerged from the darkness of the hall in front of Yami, who was staring at the floor. "Are you alright?" Yugi questioned him.

Yami slowly brought his head up so their eyes met. He let out a sigh before answering the question. "I'm fine. What about you, what did he do to you this time?"

Yugi looked away immediately. "Nothing." He responded. He never made eye contact when he lied, and Yami knew that.

"Yugi, don't lie to me. You wouldn't be here if it was 'nothing'." Yami's voice grew louder, not by much, but enough to make Yugi uncomfortable.

He shifted his weight to his left leg, keeping his eyes fixed on the wooden floor boards. "He was drunk again." Yugi replied after a moment of silence. "I probably deserved it, I-"

Yami cut him off. "Yugi, look at me." He demanded. "You do not deserve anything that idiot has put you through." He paused, the gears were turning in his head. "Let me see." His voice was growing softer, that was the tone Yugi liked to hear.

Yugi just grunted and dropped his hands to his side. Yami stood up from his seat on the couch and stepped over to the teen. He sighed and began to lift up Yugi's over sized tee-shirt, revealing a not too pleasant sight. "Yugi..."

Yugi turned away as soon as Yami said his name, the pain in his voice was almost too much for him to handle. He walked over to the glass sliding door and watched the rain pound the veranda. A flash of lightning lit up the world for a half a second, casting terrifying shadows on the ground below.

"You can't keep letting him do this, I can't keep letting him do this. You can't stay there anymore. Things are getting out of hand." Yami stated and took a spot directly beside the teen.

"There's no where else for me to go." Yugi said, never adverting his eyes from the display outside. "It'll get better."

"Yugi, you know better. It's been months, things have only gotten worse." Yami replied, looking down at the teen standing next to him. "Every time you go back to him, it just makes him think he'll be able to get away with it again, and you haven't done anything to prove that wrong." He paused for a moment then turned back to look out the glass door. The rain was only getting worse, tornado sirens could be heard from the distance. That was one disadvantage of living in an apartment, no protection from a natural disaster. "I just don't want to see you hurt, Yugi."

Yugi sighed at looked up at his friend. "Then what am I supposed to do? I don't have a job, a car, a license. Nothing. At least-" He let out an uneven breath as a single tear slid down his cheek. "at least he takes care of me. I have a roof over my head and food to eat."

"And at what cost?" Yami snapped. "He beats you almost every night. That's not a fair trade, Yugi. You could be with someone better, someone who appreciates you and loves you. Someone who would never lay a hand on you." It took all he had to resist the urge to add 'Someone like me.' to the end of his sentence.

"You don't get it, Yami." Yugi started, balling his hands into tight fists. "It's not like I want this, but, where would I go if I were to leave him? I'd be living on the streets." He paused for a moment, trying to find the words to make Yami understand. "There are too many rainy nights like this."

He had to offer, after all, he just wanted to give Yugi a little bit of peace. "You could stay here with me." Yami said simply, his voice was quiet and calm, almost like he didn't want Yugi to hear his offer, in fear of rejection.

"I couldn't impose like that. It's not fair to you, you've already helped me more than I ever thought anyone could." Yugi said, looking back the outside world.

"At least stay the night, so I know you're safe." Yami pleaded with him. It was the first night in months he actually had the courage to ask Yugi to stay.

Yugi let out a sigh. "Fine." A failt smile found it's way to his lips, maybe tonight would be the start of something better.

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Feedback is loved. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! So sorry this took so long to post. I got a promotion at work and most of my time has been spent, well, at work. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next chapter to save me. I'm fairly proud of this one.

A/N: Jaden from the story has no relation to Jaden Yuki from GX. I don't watch GX, I hate it. I just chose the name because, honestly, it seems like the kind of name a major tool would have. Just saying.

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Rain continued to fall from the heavens, it hadn't stopped since the night before. The thunder and lightning had had passed some time in the early hours of morning, but the gentle fall of rain was loud enough to fill the humble apartment with it's lullaby. The sun had risen but hid behind the gray clouds that covered the sky like a massive blanket, the only evidence of it's existence were the few drops of sunshine that fought their way though the clouds and illuminated the city in a gloomy light.

Inside Yami's home, his guest slept soundly amongst a sea of pillows and blankets. Yami, however, had been up for hours, thinking. He sat at the kitchen table and sipped on his third cup of coffee. He stared at the white wall across from him hoping the answers were hidden somewhere in the paint. His eyes searched for what seemed like hours, who knows, maybe it was, but the time he spent searching uncovered no relief to the torment the situation. He took another sip of the black coffee and set it back down on the place-mat that protected the round glass table. He stared at the coffee until a knock at the door startled him from his thoughts.

He let out a sigh and stood up, pushing the chair out from under him. He glanced at the clock and noted that it was only 8AM. "Who the heck is here at this hour?" He muttered to himself as he walked over to the front door and opened it.

The man standing outside was an all too familiar face. There was only one reason he was there, standing at Yami's door. He wanted Yugi.

"Jaden." Yami spat in the most nasty tone he could muster, given the time of day.

"Yami." Jaden replied in the same vulgar tone. "I know he's here." Jaden pushed his way through Yami and headed to the back of the apartment.

"I don't think so," Yami paused for a second. "are you drunk?" He asked, not really expecting an answer and grabbed him by the collar of the shirt. Yami looked the unwelcome man in the eyes, studying his features for a moment. He had no idea what Yugi had ever seen in him. His eyes were a light shade of brown, his jaw was wide. Overall he had very sharp facial features. His dark blond hair was scraggly, maybe it hadn't been washed in a few days, or maybe it just always looked that greasy. Either way, Yami could care less. "Get out, Jaden. I'm not dealing with all of your drama today." Yami said pulling the much taller man to the door.

Yami may be a little on the short side, but he more than made up for that with strength and physical prowess. Jaden on the other hand, he was tall, but that was it, and his husky build made him look tougher than he actually was. At least, that's what Yami thought.

As Yami grabbed the door handle to open it, Jaden spun around and hit Yami with his fist right on the side of his head. The smaller man crumbled to the ground in pain, cursing his attacker. It was at the moment that a petite, porcelain skinned figure stepped out of the bedroom to see what the commotion was.

Amethyst eyes widened in fear with the realization of what was happening. He tried to conceal himself within the confines of Yami's bedroom, but it was too late. Jaden was standing right in front of him before he could even let out a terrified breath.

"It's time to come home, Yugi." Jaden said, grabbing Yugi by his wrist and pulling him towards the door.

"I'm staying here, Jaden." Yugi replied quietly and tried to pull away from the taller mans grasp.

"You're what?" Jaden spun around and looked and the frightened teen, anger growing inside of him.

"I'm staying here." Yugi said a little more sternly. Finally breaking the grip Jaden had on him. "We're over. I'm sick of being your punching bag."

"Like hell." Jaden spat and lunged at his former 'lover'.

Yugi dodged Jaden's first attack, but that only left him trapped in the corner of the hallway, no where to go, a perfect target for an angry drunk.

Jaden grabbed Yugi's arm, his large hand fit perfectly around the younger boys arm, pinning him to the wall. He smirked his sadistic smile, Yugi knew what it meant and braced himself as Jaden unleashed a series of aggressive punches and phrases. Yugi tried to hide himself within the apartment walls, unfortunately, they just wouldn't allow him access to confide safely within them. Tears mixed with blood and silently slid down his face, leaving a trail of glistening pink.

Yami regained his balance and looked down the hallway, witnessing the horrible scene taking place right in front of him, in his own home. "Jaden! Leave him alone!" He screamed and ran to the beaten teen, pulling the older man off from on top of him.

Yami stood between the two former lovers, facing Yugi's attacker. "Get out now or I'm calling the police." Yami spoke with a stern voice and pointed to the door.

Jaden just stood there and stared at Yami with an amused look on his face. "I'll be back for him." Jaden spoke with a harsh tone before he made his way to the door. Yami followed to be sure the door was locked after the deranged drunk left. Jaden left the apartment with a slam from the front door and some mumbles that couldn't be processed.

Yami locked the deadbolt and made his way over to Yugi who had managed to a standing position with the support of the wall behind him. Yami let out a frustrated sigh and knelt down so their faces met. Yami's crimson eyes examined Yugi's amethyst orbs, almost getting lost.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt, little one?" Yami questioned, however, he already knew the answer. Jaden never left Yugi with anything less than a deep, nasty bruise or a fractured bone.

Yugi's eyes filled with tears as he collapsed into Yami's arms. Yami fell back to a sitting position and held Yugi as he cried. His sobs and the ticking of the living room clock were the only noise to fill the apartment. Yami rubbed soothing circles on the boys back until his breaths were normal paced, and tears no longer flowed from beautiful violet eyes.

"I'm sorry." Yugi said quietly lifting his head from Yami's chest.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Yami replied and gazed into Yugi's bloodshot eyes.

Yugi paused, trying to find the words he needed to say. "I got blood on your shirt." He whispered and leaned back so he was sitting on his knees.

Yami looked down at his white beater seeing the blood and the tears that turned crimson to a light red. He smiled at the innocence that radiated from his guest. "Yugi, this shirt is the least of my worries right now." He replied and reached out a hand to gently caress Yugi's face.

"You're not hurt are you?" Yugi asked and leaned into Yami's warm touch.

"No, I'm fine. What about you?" Yami questioned.

"I'm fine, just need to get the blood off of my face." The smaller of the two replied and tried to move to a standing position. We was successful only with the help of the crimson stained wall behind him.

"Yugi, you're not 'fine', you can barely stand up, let me help you to the bathroom." Yami said with his voice full of concern. He pushed himself to a standing position and placed one of Yugi"s arms around his neck for support. They made the short journey to the large bathroom with ease. Yugi sat down on the edge of the bath tub as Yami grabbed a black wash rag from the linen closet just to their left. Yugi sat quietly as Yami wet the rag and began to gently wipe the blood away from his face.

"Take your shirt off." Yami almost demanded. He just wanted to get this whole thing over with, and he knew the cuts Yugi hid from him probably needed to be treated.

"Um, what?" Yugi looked up at Yami with a confused look on his face, but before Yami repeated himself he began to remove Yugi's baggy gray tee-shirt from his body.

He stared Yugi's beaten torso, it was worse than he had originally thought. The bruises were a dark blue with yellow around the edges, the cuts looked fresh, their edges were red and swollen. Both arms held bruises that were in perfect shapes of hands, Jaden's hands. The rage and anger inside of Yami began to grow, he curled both hands into fists, the water from the wash rag that was in his right dripped off of his white knuckles into a growing dark brown wet spot on the rug below them.

Yugi, sensing Yami's distress, grabbed the rag from his hand and began to nurse the wounds on his chest.

"I'll never let this happen to you again, Yugi, I swear." Yami promised and took the rag back from Yugi. He tossed it to the other side of the bathroom and knelt down onto the brown rug so he was the same height as Yugi. Yami wrapped his arms around the boys torso and laid his head on Yugi's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Yugi."He whispered into Yugi's ear, sending a wave of chills though his small body.

Yugi threw his arms around Yami's neck and once again, salty tears began to spill from amethyst eyes.

"Stay here with me, I'll take care of you. Be mine, we'll get through this together, I promise. I'll always be here for you."

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Feedback is loved. Tell me what you'd like to see happen next because I'm not sure where the story will go from here. :)


	3. Chapter 3

So. It's about time, right? I'm a day later that i had planned, but it's up. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you guys like reading it.

Don't own YuGiOh. You should know that by now.

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Yugi laid on the couch basking in the bright sunlight that filtered in drops through the window. His left arm was placed over his stomach. He let his eyes rest upon the window, watching the activities outside. Cardinals danced in the air and children were running and playing outside. He let out a sigh and moved his attention to the noises coming from the kitchen.

Yami was busy making his guest a bowl of soup. Humming to himself whist stirring the increasingly hot pot on the stove. He peaked though the doorway to check on Yugi, but only saw the colorful tips of his hair peaking over the edge of the couch. Yami smiled and continued to make lunch for the boy. When it was finished heating up, he filled the bowl with the steamy meal and placed it on a plate along with some crackers and a spoon and walked it into the living room where Yugi was resting peacefully.

"I made you some soup." Yami said quietly as he entered the room and took a spot next to the beaten teen. Yugi gave him a weak smile before attempting to sit up on the couch. He winced in pain and immediately fell back, huffing in pain.

A wave of emotions stormed though Yami's body, sadness, anger, hatred, rage. Sadness; no one should have to be put through the hell Yugi had been though. Anger; he was angry with himself, he could have, should have stopped this months ago. Hatred; for Jaden. How could anyone do something like that and still sleep at night? Rage; he'll kill that man if he ever gets a change. Quickly he pushed it all back down inside before his guest noticed and gently he pulled Yugi into a sitting positing. Yugi muttered a weak 'thanks' before adverting his attention to dark hallway.

Yami followed the spot that Yugi's eyes were focused on. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, not seeing what Yugi saw.

Yugi sighed and turned his attention back to Yami. "It's nothing." Yugi stated. "Just my mind playing tricks on me."

A sympathetic smile crept onto Yami's face. "Eat your soup before it get's cold." Yami mumbled and stood up stretching his arms out. "I think I'm due for a shower."

Without adverting his attention from his soup Yugi chimed in. "I should probably do the same."

"Do you wanna go first?" Yami asked making an awkward hand gesture that lead from Yugi to up the stairs.

"Nah, go ahead. I'll get one when you're finished." Yugi replied stirring the liquid with his spoon, watching the letters in the bowl float around. Yami nodded and turned to walk up the stairs.

"Thank you, by the way." Yugi quietly called out from the couch.

"For the soup? No problem." Yami replied only moving his head slightly to the right before walking down the hall to the bathroom.

"That's not what I meant." He said quietly to himself and continued to eat his soup. He heard a faucet turn on and the shower head start. He picked up the TV remote and turned it on. The news was the first station to flicker onto the screen, however, the news was too depressing for the teen, so he channel-surfed until he came across some sort of medical drama. He let that play in the background. Keeping one ear focused on the shower upstairs and one ear listening for anything else.

There was a lot on the boys mind. How long could he stay with Yami? What about Jaden? He'll be back, Yugi was sure of it, and if he knew Jaden, this was probably only the beginning.

His soup was finished quickly. Leaning back into the couch the teen began to pay a little less attention to his surroundings, and before he knew it, the medical drama that was there for background noise engulfed him.

Upstairs, Yami was rinsing the shampoo from his hair, his mind too filled with questions. How long would Yugi stay? Would he go back to Jaden? Would Jaden come back for him? Obviously Yami cared a great deal for the teen, and he had hidden well just how much he cared. Would Yugi accept that, or are they strictly friends? He pushed those thoughts from his mind and turned the shower off. He stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel from the corner of the counter and began to dry himself off. Once finished he wrapped himself in the towel and walked across the hall to his bedroom, glancing a. Ht the living room instinctively to make sure all was well. Sure enough he was completely engulfed in whatever show he was watching. Yami smiled and closed the bedroom door. He changed into a fresh pair of boxers and a pair of black khaki shorts accented by the white towel draped over his neck. He walked out of his room and down the hall to the living room where Yugi was watching his show.

"The bathroom is free if you wanna take a shower." Yami said as he observed the television, rendering it irreverent to his life. He grabbed a key from the bar and walked toward the door. "I'm going to grab the mail, I'll be right back."

Yugi just nodded and Yami smiled as he pushed the door open, stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind him. He bounded down the stairs to the mailboxes, which were located right inside the main door, he grabbed his mail and headed back upstairs. As he reached for the door something out of the ordinary caught his eye. A white envelope stuck out from beneath his door. He bent down and picked it up, seeing that it had Yugi's name written on it.

He knew better than to open someone else mail, but the fact that Jaden was probably the only one who knew where Yugi was at the moment, he had a bad feeling about it. So, before going inside he decided to open it. If it was nothing, he'd just give it to Yugi, but he had to be sure. Inside the envelope was a ripped piece of notebook paper with rather sloppy handwriting. It read:

_'My dearest Yugi.' _

Just the thought of Jaden made Yami feel uneasy, but to imagine that man trying to woo the poor teen made his stomach turn.

_I want you to know how sorry I am for all the hurt I've brought to you. I want you to know I never meant for it to get out of hand, but it did. I don't know what I can do, if I can do anything, but I want you. I need you. I need to have you again. I need to feel your body aginst mine. _

_I will have you again. Even if it means killing any bastard that gets in my way._

_That includes your precious Yami._

_With love,  
Jaden._

The bottom of the letter was signed with a crudely drawn smiley face. Yami held the letter in his hand, reading the last two lines over and over again. His hands began to shake with emotion. There was no way in hell Yami was going to let that bastard ever lay another finger on Yugi. And who did he think he was, threatening Yami's life. His heart raced, his blood boiled. Usually he wouldn't face Yugi in an emotional state like the one he was in, but he really didn't care at this point. He crushed the letter in his hand and shoved it in his pocket.

One final breath before he opened the door.

He walked inside his apartment, shutting and locking the door behind him. Yugi was still watching his show. Yami set the mail down on the counter, ignoring it completely and took a seat next to Yugi who immediately turned his attention to Yami and smiled.

Yami's heart melted, but a half-hearted smile was all he could muster. Jaden's letter weighed heavy on his mind.

"Is there something wrong?" Yugi asked, fearing the worst as he's been trained to do.

"Well," Yami started, trying to find the words he wanted to say. "I thought you wanted to take a shower?"

That wasn't what he wanted to say. Yami knew it, and Yugi knew it. But, each not wanting to make the other uncomfortable, they both dismissed it.

Yugi giggled. "You're right, I guess I just got caught up in this show." He stood to head to the bathroom.

"Or we could finish watching your show." Yami smiled and gently grabbed Yugi's hips, pulling him back down to the couch, trapping one of Yami's arms around the smaller teen. Yugi looked up at Yami who just smiled and nodded towards the tv. Yugi gladly got comfortable with Yami's arm around him and turned his attention back to the television.

And they both were at peace.

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for now. Feedback is loved. :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I would have had this up late night, but FF was on the fritz for some reason. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's much longer than the others (this is what I like to post) and I worked m butt off on this one. Sorry if the middle is kinda boring, I had a really hard time getting it out. :/ Oh well. Enjoy chapter 4!

Disclaimer: (You all should know by now) I do not own YuGiOh, if I did, there would be a lot less card games.

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Yugi stepped out of the steamy shower and onto Yami's brown bath rug, grabbing the black towel from the counter he began to dry himself off. He began with his wild hair then moved to his arms and legs. He gently dabbed away the moisture on his chest and back, avoiding his cuts and bruises. He grabbed his boxers and pants that Yami had washed for him. Turning around he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he froze immediately, the memories from the night before playing out right before him like a movie in the mirror.

_'I'm sorry, Jaden, please stop.' Yugi cried as he was being beaten by his lover. However, his cries for mercy only threw Jaden into more of a rage. _

_'Not until you admit it!' Jaden spat and kicked Yugi in the stomach. It was only a few seconds before the taste of iron filled his mouth and he was spitting out blood. Yugi lifted his left arm, trying to shield himself from Jaden's attacks but his boyfriend just grabbed his wrist and pulled him to his feet. 'You little fuck.' The alcohol on his breath was enough to make anyone gag. _

_Jaden pinned Yugi by the wrist to the wall next to the couch and bent down to their faces met. "I can't believe you would do something like that. After everything I've done for you. If it wasn't for me you'd be living on the streets. No one wants a loser like you." _

He wasn't entirely wrong.

_Yugi just kept his eyes focused on a blood stain on the rug. Hearing him, but the throbbing of his injuries prevented him from fully comprehending what his boyfriend was saying. Jaden continued his verbal attack, when he couldn't think of an insult, he just threw a punch. Yugi kept focusing on that blood stained rug, trying to escape the reality surrounding him. _

_Jaden eventually let go of Yugi's wrist and watched him crumble to the floor. He let out a sarcastic chuckle, under his breath calling him 'pathetic' before disappearing into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, the light inside illuminating its contents, which mostly contained beer. He grabbed one from the bottom shelf, his seventh one for the afternoon and walked past Yugi who still laid on the living room floor, not even sparing a glance. He disappeared into the bedroom and shut the door, locking it behind him, drowning out his problems in alcohol and television. _

He didn't realize the death grip he had on the towel until he heard Yami's voice from down the hall telling him to hurry up. He let out a sigh, thankful to have been brought back from that horrible flashback. He threw the towel over the side of the tub before slipping into his clothes. He tried to push the memory from his mind, but it lingered, just as his injuries. He let out a sigh and tried to regain his composure before facing Yami. He turned the door knob and stepped out into the hall where he was greeted with Yami's warm smile.

"I have something for you." Yami said and grabbed Yugi's wrist, dragging the teen into his bedroom. "Pick out a nice shirt from my closet, we need to get going." He looked at the clock hanging on his bedroom wall, it read 6:47pm.

"Going where?" Yugi questioned, a little confused by the way Yami was acting. The elder of the two just smiled and took a seat at the edge of his bed, watching Yugi go through the shirts in his closet. After a minute or two of searching Yugi picked out a black button up shirt with gold buckles on the shoulders, it went well with the dark washed jeans he already had on. He tucked the shirt in and turned around to show Yami.

"Looks better on you than it does me." He replied with a lusting grin, standing up he walked over to the dresser, messing with his bangs in the mirror before grabbing his keys and heading out of the room.

Yugi blushed as he turned off the closet light and followed Yami out of the apartment. He pulled the door shut behind him and watched Yami lock it. They walked down the three flights of stairs to the main door and exited the building as a tall man dressed in black walked up the stairs to the building. Yami held the door open for him before meeting Yugi at the bottom of the steps.

"Will you please tell me where we're going?" Yugi playfully begged, opening the passenger side door and getting in.

"Well," Yami started as he twisted the key in the ignition, turning the engine on. "I just figured with everything that's going on, you could use a nice night out." He put the car in reverse and backed out of his parking space and drove out of the apartment complex.

Yugi sat and thought about it for a second before responding. "You mean... like a date?"

Yami glanced over to his passenger trying to read his body language. Yugi was just sitting there with his hands in his lap, playing with his fingernails, completely focused on his hands. He was obviously nervous. "It doesn't have to be..." Yami paused for a minute. _'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.'_ He thought to himself. "I just want you to have fun, you deserve that much." Another glance and Yami saw a small smile creep onto Yugi's face, he knew this would be good for him, and hopefully it would take both of their minds off of Jaden for a little while.

The two rode in silence for a few minutes. Yami focused on the road, Yugi focused on the scenery speeding past. "I figured we'd start off with the arcade, maybe I could kick your butt in a few racing games." Yami said with a chuckle, trying to diffuse the silence.

"Yeah, we'll see about that." Yugi replied with a grin, turning his attention to the driver.

They pulled into a somewhat large shopping complex. There were restaurants, department stores, small boutiques, and of course, an arcade. Yami pulled into a parking space and put the car in park before turning it off and sliding his finger inside the keyring of his keys. He opened the door to get out, but the voice of the teen in the passengers seat asked him to wait.

"Is there something wrong?" Yami questioned turning his full attention to Yugi, subconsciously rubbing his finger up and down one of his keys in a nervous twitch.

"What if..." Yugi paused a little embarrassed by what he was about to say. "What if.. this was a... a date?" He asked, a rosy pink taking over his cheeks. He looked up at Yami, not moving his head. He saw Yami smile and lean in close, his mouth just centimeters away from his ear.

"Then you'll just have to wait and see." He replied with a whisper, his hot breath sending shivers down Yugi's spine.

Yami again opened his door, this time successfully stepping out and exiting the vehicle. Yugi too did the same and met Yami at the front of the car and the two walked side by side into the large building.

The inside was filled with the sounds of children screaming, the different game sounds of people winning jackpots. This place had everything, the two stared in awe for a moment. Putt-putt, bumper cars, a jungle gym for smaller kids and what felt like thousands of games. Both of the boys felt overwhelmed, not sure where to start. "What do you wanna do first?" Yami asked.

"I dunno." Yugi replied wandering further into the maze of games, Yami following closely behind.

Yami followed his (now) date for a few minutes before suggesting they play a game of skee-ball, Yugi eagerly agreed and they headed over to the machines. Yami had come prepared, he handed a handful of coins to Yugi and gave him a nod. They inserted their coins and the balls fell into the opening. They both gave the game their full attention, but before they knew it, they had each thrown their last ball.

"You just got lucky." Yugi smirked as he looked at Yami's score comparing it to his own. Yami just shrugged it off and inserted his coins for the next game. Yugi followed Yami's lead and the whole process began all over again.

"I told you, you just got lucky." Yugi beamed, this time he had beaten Yami by 500 points.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Yami replied turning away from the game, as to tell it he wasn't happy with losing. Obviously it was the machines fault.

Yugi smiled as he began to let his eyes wander around the giant room again, wondering what would catch his interest.

It wasn't too long before Yugi started to come out of his shell, dragging Yami around to all the different games. Whining when he lost and gloating when he won, of course it was all in good fun. They played racing games and puzzle games, fighting games and gambling games.

Before they realized it, almost two hours had passed and the boys had begun to feel hungry, so they decided on one final game before heading out: Need for Speed: Carbon. They each picked their cars, Yugi chose a Purple '69 Charger, and Yami chose a red '67 Camaro SS. They chose a desert track of medium difficulty, the count down began and they were off.

Yami was in first for the majority of the first lap, Yugi fell into third, but by the time they entered their second lap, Yugi had moved to second and was catching up quickly. By the end of the second lap Yugi was right behind Yami and the two fought for first place. They battled for first place the entire last lap, but Yugi ended up taking the victory.

They stood up from the machines, smiling at each other. "I'm going to run to the bathroom before we leave." Yugi said looking around for a restroom sign. Yami nodded and watched as the boy walked off.

While Yugi was in the restroom Yami decided to find something to occupy his time, which wouldn't be too hard since he was surrounded by games.

Yugi pushed the door to the restroom open and walked inside. When he was sure he was the only one inside he let a sigh of relief escape his lips. (Not) To his surprise he had over 30 missed calls. Every one of them from Jaden.

He knew better than to hit that little button with the green phone on it. He knew, but he didn't listen. He held the phone up to his ear, listening to the ring. Ring after ring, until it went to voicemail.

Yugi let out a small grunt, surprised that Jaden didn't pick up. "At least he can't say I didn't try to call him back." He mumbled to himself as he walked out of the bathroom and off to find Yami.

He wasn't hard to find, especially since the two could pass for identical twins.

"Here, I got this for you." Yami said handing Yugi a cute brown stuffed bear that he won from a claw machine while he was in the restroom.

Yugi smiled at the gift and looked up at Yami. "Thank you, he's adorable."

"Anything for you." He replied. "Now how about we head across the parking lot to that new Sushi place? I'm starving!" He grabbed Yugi's hand an the two walked out of the arcade.

As they entered the restaurant they were greeted by a young hostess. "How are you doing tonight?" She asked

"We're well." Yami responded taking in the decor of the place. "And yourself?"

"Can't complain." She said and grabbed two menus. "Two of you tonight?"

Yami gave her a nod in response.

"Right this way." She said turning around and heading further into the restaurant, stopping a a small booth. "Kumori will be your server tonight." She smiled. "Enjoy your meal."

Kumori came by shortly after to get the boys' drink order. Yugi ordered a Strawberry lemonade and Yami was fine with water. She returned with their drinks and they placed their food order.

They decided to share a couple of rolls: Sunday Morning, Red Double, and a traditional California Roll.

"So, how about tomorrow we get your things from Jaden's?" Yami suggested as they waited for their food.

"Are you sure you want me to move in with you, Yami?" Yugi questioned.

"Well I definitely don't want you going back to Jaden, but I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do.." Yami responded taking a sip of his water.

"It's not that I don't want to." Yugi started. "It's just that I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're far from a burden, Yugi." Yami said gazing into amethyst orbs. "If you lived with me you wouldn't have to worry about Jaden. I'd never lay a finger on you... Unless you wanted me to." He said with a lusting grin.

Yugi could feel the redness take over his cheeks, but quickly regained his composure. "As long as you're okay with it."

It was then that Kumori returned with their food, they two boys were starving and dove right in. They talked about other little things as they ate, just enjoying each others company.

They finished and Yami paid the bill before they headed back out into the parking lot towards Yami's car.

"Did you have fun tonight?" Yami asked as he grabbed Yugi's hand, their fingers interlocking.

"So much fun." Yugi responded with a smile as they approached the car. Yami, being the gentleman that he was, opened the passengers side door for his date. "Why thank you, sir." Yugi said in a sophisticated accent and a smile, getting into the car.

* * *

The two silently headed up the stairs, Yugi held onto his stuffed bear. As they reached the top of the stairs Yugi leaned against the door frame to Yami's apartment, letting out a yawn and rubbing his eyes.

"Long day?" Yami asked playfully, admiring Yugi's innocence before inserting his key in the lock and turning it. He pushed the door open and they stepped inside. Flipping on the light switch on the wall to the right, the apartment was lit to reveal it had been ransacked. Yami stared for a moment taking eveything in.

His couch cushions were scattered carelessly around the living room, the items he had sitting on the coffee and end tables were thrown about, his love seat was flipped over. In the kitchen pots and pans were disheveled and silverware laid in a pile on the floor.

A million thoughts raced through Yami's mind. _Who did this, no, that's a dumb question, I know it was Jaden. Did he take anything? I'll kill that mother fucker! _He looked down to Yugi who timidly stood behind Yami, looking around the apartment at the mess. _The most important thing to me is standing right here. _He grabbed Yugi's hand and pulled him further inside, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it. _He could still be here. Waiting. _He walked into the kitchen and moved a few thing around before bending down in front of the cabinet next to the stove. He opened it and felt around inside for a moment before his hand fell upon what he was looking for.

A gun.

Yugi's eyes widened when he saw what Yami had pulled out. Not in fear that Yami would hurt him, he was afraid of the object itself.

_Jaden waived the pistol in Yugi's face as the teen cowered between the sink and the shower in their tiny bathroom. Jaden bent down, looking Yugi directly in the eye before he brought the gun up to Yugi's cheek. He rested the cold metal against Yugi's fair skin and began to play with the trigger. _

_Yugi looked up hopelessly at Jaden, trying to find some remanence of the man he fell in love with. However, he knew that man didn't exist anymore, he was starting to question if he ever really did. He swallowed the lump in is throat and let out a terrified breath._

_"I could pull this trigger, and not a single person would notice." Jaden spoke with a smile now tracing Yugi's jawline with the barrel of the gun. "No one would care, no one would come looking for you."_

_Once upon a time there was a Yugi that existed who would have known better. A Yugi that wouldn't have bought into those lies. But somewhere along the way that Yugi was defeated, his spirit had been broken and all that was left now was a 'pathetic coward', a 'poor excuse for a man'. There was once a Yugi that valued his life, a Yugi that loved to laugh and smile. But now he just wanted the pain to go away. He really didn't care if Jaden pulled the trigger._

_He hoped Jaden would pull the trigger._

"It's just for protection." A confident young voice broke Yugi from his trance. He looked up to Yami who stood in the middle of the kitchen with the gun to his side. With a nod Yugi dismissed himself to the living room, picking up the sofa cushions and returning them to their homes before taking a seat.

Yami headed further into the apartment, checking behind each closet door, under the bed, in the bath tub. If he could hide there, there was the potential of someone else being able to hide there.

Yugi sat on the couch looking at the mess. He was quiet, shy and naive, but he wasn't stupid. He knew this was Jaden's handy-work. With an angry huff Yugi grabbed the stuffed bear Yami gave to him and held it close to his chest.

After double checking the apartment, Yami returned to the living room taking a seat on the couch next to Yugi. He opened one of the side table drawers and put the gun inside, hidden from view, but easy to access, if he needed to get to it. He pushed those thoughts from his mind and pulled Yugi into his chest, not realizing he let out a disappointed sigh while doing so.

"I'm sorry, Yami..." Yugi said quietly, playing with the paws of his bear.

"You didn't do this." replied Yami, who began to run his fingers through Yugi's crazy hair, trying to ignore the reality and just enjoy the others company.

"No... but because of me, it happened... Did he take anything?"

"No. He was probably looking for you, but when he realized you weren't here he wrecked the place ... It doesn't matter either way, as long as you're safe that's all I care about." Yami replied tightening his grip around the younger boy. "And I promise you, he will never lay another finger on you, so long as I have a say in it. You don't hurt the people you love, not like what he's done to you..." He began to nuzzle Yugi's neck, making the boy squirm in his grip.

"I just don't want him to hurt you too." Yugi said pulling away and looking into Yami's deep crimson eyes, almost getting lost.

"Don't you worry about me, little one." Yami replied pulling Yugi into him again. They laid in silence for a while, the ticking of the clock and their breaths were the only noises to fill the apartment.

It wasn't too long before sleep had taken over Yugi's body. Yami gently scooped him up and carried him into the bedroom, laying him down on his bed. He pulled the covers up to his chest and laid a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, aibou." He whispered before flicking the light off and heading to the living room to clean up the mess Jaden had left.

* * *

Usually I'm not one to ask for reviews, usually I don't have to, but I only got 1 review last chapter. So please review, let me know how I'm doing. I love reading your guys' thoughts, what you think should happen, and who knows I might use one of your guys' ideas for inspiration.


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